Inscrutable
by Thirst4light
Summary: Harry Potter has got the responsibility of solving the sensational murder case of Gwenog Jones. Who knew that this case will alter his life in ways that no one would ever expect! Beta edited by Majerus. H/G.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** I want to try different styles of writing. So, you can call this fic "An experiment." This is a huge project and I have high hopes for it. Let's see how it goes! I really have to thank two people from the bottom of my heart, my beta Majerus and my sister! They both have been very kind and patient with me.

* * *

_Prologue_

It was nearly twilight when today's practice ended after more than ten hours of heavy drills and sweat. Gwenog Jones made sure that players gave their hundred percent whether it was during practice or the World Cup. Because of her tough demeanor, everyone calls Gwenog "The Woman of Steel" behind her back.

After her retirement nobody really expected her to take the position of coaching the Holyhead Harpies. Everyone questioned her coaching skills, some said coaching a team and playing Quidditch are two different things and of-course they were right. It took some time to shut the mouths of her critics as she failed miserably in her first year of coaching. But to everyone's amazement, Holyhead placed fourth and then third in the next two years in the League Cup. Suddenly everyone was praising her coaching techniques.

The Daily Prophet reported that as a team Holyhead was nothing special, that it was the skill of the coach that made the Harpies tough to beat. This infuriated Gwenog because she knew more than anybody else that every member of her team was talented. In the beginning, the team members had problem of gelling with each other. Gwenog's motivational skills and her players' hard work made sure they got it together from the second year of her coaching. She had a gut feeling that her fourth year was going to be different since the Harpies were positioned second as the first half of the season ended. Only Puddlemere United seemed to be a real threat to Holyhead clinching this year's title. Gwenog didn't want to take anything for granted, so she made her team start training a week before the start of second half of the season.

"Madam, are you leaving?" Gwenog was locking her office when one of the security guards came through on patrol.

"Yes. I will be back early tomorrow morning. Did all the players leave?"

The guard nodded and said, "I was about to lock the main entrance when I saw the light in your office."

The guard bade her goodnight as she left the Harpies office building. The night outside was quite chilly compared to the other nights this October in Wales. She wrapped herself tightly in her cloak as she started to walk towards her apartment. Her flat was only five minutes away and she always preferred walking to apparition if she could avoid it.

There weren't many people on the road as it was a Saturday and everyone was probably with their family and friends. She thought maybe after this year she could cut back on coaching and spend some time with her family. Suddenly her musings were interrupted by the feeling that someone was watching her. She glanced behind and to the sides to reassure herself that she really was alone.

There wasn't anyone around.

Gwenog groaned to herself, maybe living away from her family and friends was harder on her than she realized. After another few steps she stopped in her tracks. This time she thought she heard footsteps behind her.

"Who's there?"

No reply. Was it the wind? She didn't know, but she didn't want to panic over a bit of trash on the breeze. Gwenog was a tough woman but still her heart was beating fast. She wasn't about to just apparate like a scared girl. She had taken on all comers both during games and after. Still, some instinct told her to walk faster as she stepped away from the pool of light shed by the dim street light. It seemed to her that the street lights did nothing but increase the darkness between them.

There hadn't been another noise as she stepped from one pool of light to the next. Her wand was clutched tightly inside her cloak, just in case. She could see her building as she rounded the corner. She was about to sigh in relief when she felt the hairs raise on the back of her neck. She knew that someone was standing very close to her, in fact right behind her.

As she turned to face the man behind her with her wand aloft, a shot of jet- green light went straight through her chest. Gwenog tumbled forward, dead before she could even realize what happened. Her body lay sprawled on the pavement, fifty yards away from her flat.

Half an hour later, a man was walking home when stumbled against the body. He was a bit drunk, so it took him some time to grasp that a woman was apparently sleeping on the pavement. But then his fogged mind cleared and he thought that no woman in her right mind should sleep on the side of the road! As he looked at the unnatural angle of her body he became truly concerned. He reached down to check her pulse, just to make sure that the woman was okay.

She had no pulse.

His eyes widened with fear, he stood rooted to the spot for one very long moment before running to get help.


	2. The unexpected responsibility

A/N: My Beta Majerus has been very patient and kind to me when it came to polishing some of the major stuffs in this chapter. Thank you M for being so nice!

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Chapter 1- The Unexpected responsibility

On an early Sunday morning Dean Thomas sat at the dining table to have some fried bacon and a hot mug of coffee for breakfast. Waking up early and reading the Daily Prophet had become a routine, even on the weekends. As he saw the Headline his jaw almost dropped in astonishment. To make sure he was seeing right, he hastily put his mug on the table and concentrated on reading the article. His brow furrowed and his expression became stony as he read on. He stood up quickly from his seat to wake up his best friend and colleague to give the news.

"Harry, wake up!" Dean banged on his roommate's door.

Harry lay sprawled across his bed. He groaned, "Go away."

"Harry, it's important. Just open the damn door!"

Harry raised his head by an inch to look at his bedside clock. It showed seven-thirty.

"Dean, it's Sunday. Unlike you, some folks like to sleep-in on weekends."

"Are you going to open the door, or do I have break in?" Dean's voice sounded upset now.

"All right. All right." Harry canceled his wards and opened the door with a few gestures. He didn't even regard Dean as his friend entered the room. He was about to drift off to sleep again when Dean said, "You need to see this."

Cracking an eye at Dean, Harry mumbled out "I am not in a mood to read the paper."

Dean rolled his eyes, exasperated, "Fine, Gwenog Jones was found dead near her flat in Wales."

"Who is Gwenog Jones?" Harry was so sleepy that he couldn't even wrap his head around what Dean was saying.

When it comes to Quidditch, Dean Thomas is a walking encyclopedia. Normally he doesn't mind other people's lack of knowledge. But Harry's ignorance of the famous Quidditch star turned coach really bugged him, especially with what had happened to her.

He pressed, "Gwenog Jones, ex-captain, coach of Holyhead Harpies? Does any of that ring a bell in that thick head of yours?"

Harry looked puzzled for a second before saying, "Wait, what? The Gwenog Jones?" He was finally, grudgingly, waking up.

"Yes, the very one, they found her body last night Harry."

"Let me see that!" Harry's was now fully awake as he snatched the paper out of Dean's hands and put on his glasses from his bedside table.

'Gwenog Jones Found Dead'

'Gwenog Jones, the famous ex-captain and current coach of the all witch Quidditch team the Holyhead Harpies, was found dead near her apartment in Wales. The news of her demise came in the late hours of Saturday night. Both the Holyhead Harpies spokes-witch and the Jones family confirmed this tragic news.

Hardly any information is available except that she was found dead on the pavement. She was discovered by a passer by whose identity has not been disclosed for security reasons, according to a Ministry official. The Harpies are a tough contender in this year's league as they are positioned second before the start of mid-season which was supposed to start in exactly one week. How this incident will affect the league is now the burning question among the fans. Nevertheless, in the world of Quidditch, today is a day for mourning for one of the best players in the world, Gwenog Jones.'

'Take a look at the celebrated the life Gwenog Jones, page two, column three.'

As Harry finished reading, he looked at Dean who was waiting for a response. "So, that's it? Nothing else?" he asked, the frustration clear in his voice.

Dean shrugged, "It's too early to say what else could be going on. We should head over to office, Kingsley might need us."

Harry nodded and began to dress.

As Dean returned to the doorway he asked over his shoulder, "Hey, when are you going to stop being so paranoid? Nobody wards their bedroom door!" He continued towards his own room, knowing the ongoing issue wasn't going to be solved this morning.

As soon as the two friends were fully dressed for work they met in their small living room. Dean nodded towards their old fireplace, "I reckon we floo straight to the office, I don't fancy walking past the hordes of reporters at the Atrium."

With a nod from Harry, the two headed to work on Sunday morning.

* * *

As soon as Harry and Dean stepped out of the office fireplace they could see people were already hard at work everywhere they looked. It was Senior Auror Dawlish who addressed them first.

"Harry, Kingsley was looking for you. He wanted you to go to his office. Dean, you should go too."

They saw the door stood ajar as they approached Kingsley's office, inside they saw a very busy Head Auror scratching quickly on parchment. Harry cleared his throat to catch Kingsley's attention.

The old Auror looked up and smiled grimly as he greeted them, "Ahh, Harry, Dean. I have been expecting you two. What a tragedy!" He shook his head and continued, "But I need you two to gear up and get to the Atrium. Those reporters have been swarming since the news broke. Try to hold them off with the standard stuff. The Minister and I will come in half an hour or so."

Harry was about to ask when Kingsley said, "No, we don't know anything much. Now, if you and Dean please-"

"Of course." Harry replied.

As they entered the Atrium from the lift, they understood what Kingsley was talking about.

"What the-" Harry exclaimed. Dean was as surprised as Harry, a large crowd was pressing against a magical barrier.

"Wotcher Harry!" Harry was so distracted by the spectacle that he didn't even notice when Tonks came up, even though her hair was her usual bubble-gum pink.

"Hey Tonks! What's going on here? How come so many people are gathered - I can understand the reporters - but the others?"

"Fans." Tonks stated simply. "I had to create a boundary surrounding the stage, in case they got ideas."

"How did you know?"

"Remus read the news first thing, he had a rough night." The young woman said, a small frown forming.

"What do you reckon will happen now?" Dean asked, watching the crowd.

"Investigation of course. I wouldn't be surprised if Kingsley himself takes the investigation in his hands."

Dean nodded, "I just hope the League continues. This season is the best I've seen in five years." Clearly, Dean's mind was still occupied with Quidditch.

As the three of them stood in silence for few moments, they saw Dawlish approach the stage which was set in front of the fountain of Magical Brethren. The Senior Auror stood in front of the crowd, trying to get everyone's attention. The crowd's noise somewhat lessened as they saw Dawlish. He didn't want to use a sonorous charm, preferring that the crowd quiet out of respect. The tactic worked, after another minute of waiting.

"Many of you have been waiting for an official statement from the Ministry after what happened last night. I assure you, the Minister is going to address this issue in few minutes. He will not be taking questions from reporters today." As Dawlish said this, some reporters made angry remarks.

"Please, calm down everyone. I assure you, the Minister's address will contain information which will give answer to the most important questions. He is currently in an important meeting with other department heads. Till then we ask you to be calm and patient."

The crowd settled somewhat, Dawlish came walking towards them. "I have to admit, I am not going to be jealous of who gets this case." Harry could see Dawlish was sweating profusely.

"Who else is coming?" Harry asked.

Dawlish, who was watching the crowd again, replied, "Ludo Bagman and Kingsley."

* * *

After fifteen minutes they saw the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, as well as Kingsley Shacklebolt and Ludo Bagman step out out of the lift. Scrimgeour looked grave and the line of grey in his mane of tawny hair was making him look much older than his considerable years. On the other hand, despite his handsome features and youth, Ludo looked very nervous.

Dean, who was standing beside Harry, whispered, "Ever seen Ludo so flustered before?"

Harry shook his head. They were standing to the right of the stage, which the officials walked past. As Scrimgeour passed Harry the Minister tilted his head just a bit in acknowledgment.

As soon as Minister was on the stage, a hushed silence fell on Atrium. Scrimgeour scanned the audience, many wearing the green and gold of their team, before holding his wand briefly to his throat. Soon his voice filled the large entryway. "Today is a sad day, not just for Quidditch fans, but for the entire British Wizarding community. Today we have lost not only a Quidditch star but also an indomitable icon. Today we mourn for Gwenog Jones." Scrimgeour paused for a moment.

"She was an inspiration to many Quidditch lovers and she made us believe that nothing should stop anyone in chasing their dreams. She was a role model both in her professional and personal life, especially in recent years."

"When did Scrimgeour learned to give emotional speeches?" Dean whispered. Harry merely shrugged.

Scrimgeour continued, "This loss is more than words can express. Let us spend a minute of silence in memory of Gwenog Jones."

The Atrium fell quiet for one minute. Scrimgeour took a breath as he spoke again, "Thank you. Now the details of her death are still under investigation. However I can promise one thing to the family and fans of Gwenog Jones: No member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will rest until they solve the mystery of her untimely death."

Again people started to murmur. Scrimgeour carried on, "However, a quick and thorough investigation will not be possible if the media and fans lose their patience and waste our time answering questions. In this difficult time, cooperation from media and fans alike is expected." Many people in the crowd exchanged looks at this statement.

"Now, I would like to call head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Mr. Ludovic Bagman, to address you."

Bagman came forward, looking as nervous as Harry had ever ever seen the man. His eyes swept across the room swiftly, he swallowed hard and started, "Words are not enough to describe our loss. As the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, this investigation puts me in a very difficult position."

He paused for a moment as if contemplating what he was going to say next. Finally he continued, "After much discussion with the Minister and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, it was decided to post-pone the start of mid-season league for two weeks for the investigation. T-Thank you for your patience."

The Atrium burst into chaos as soon as Bagman ended his sentence and turned to quickly move off the stage.

Dean said angrily, "Why didn't he try to say some emotional crap like Scrimgeour? He could have prepared the crowd before saying the League is postponed."

Harry laughed, turning and speaking a bit louder as the crowd gained volume. "You try making an announcement like that in front of Quidditch fans. No wonder he was so panicked."

The Minister and Mr. Bagman left the stage flanked by Kingsley and Tonks. They didn't seem too keen to stay in front of the angry crowd, barrier or not. Kingsley halted briefly in front of Harry and said, "Harry, can I have a word? In my office?"

Harry nodded and went to follow Kingsley. He looked back and signaled Dean that he will be back in a moment.

Dean took a look around, he was the only Auror left. He hoped Tonk's barrier would hold!

* * *

As Harry entered Kingsley's office he saw the Minister was also there.

"Please shut the door Harry, we don't want to be overheard." the Minister spoke quietly, yet his voice held a bit of an edge.

He slowly shut the door and turned to face his superiors.

Kingsley spoke, his voice the same deep timbre Harry had grown used to, "Harry, you know what a difficult situation we are in."

Harry nodded.

"Before today's announcement, the Minister and I had an in-depth conversation. This incident left us in the predicament of choosing the right person to investigate Gwenog's death. Minister Scrimgeour wanted me to take the job, however I declined. I believe the investigation needs to be thorough and I cannot commit enough time to get it done quickly."

Scrimgeour now looked straight at Harry, "After much debate, we have decided it was best that you should be lead investigator on this case."

His face must have shown his level of surprise because Kingsley hastily tried to reassure him. "You will have our full support. The other Aurors will give you thier full support and cooperation."

Harry shook his head and said slowly, "Why me? What about all the senior Aurors - Dawlish, Savage, Williamson or Tonks?"

Scrimgeour screwed his eyes shut, sounding indignant as he questioned, "Are you doubting your abilities Mr. Potter ?"

Harry's jaw tightened, "No, of course not. But giving me this case without considering the others might not please everybody." He didn't understand why the Minister was so upset.

"Haven't you learned anything from your training Mr. Potter? Sentiment doesn't work in your profession. Besides, we have to choose the Auror best for this situation. I think you are best suited to handle the pressure in a high profile case like this."

Scrimgeour's sneering tone was making Harry annoyed. He wasn't really reluctant about taking the case but the injustice to others made Harry grit his teeth.

"Fine. I will take the case." He said finally.

Kingsley nodded, "I trust you Harry. Now, I think you should get going with the case."

Harry thought he detected a hint of relief in his bosses' voice as he was summarily dismissed. He was about to leave when Kingsley added, "Oh, Harry... make sure you keep your friends close."


	3. Chapter 2: A long lost name

**A/N: **Wow! It's so good be back! You guys must be thinking why I took so much time to update! Well..one thing is lack of inspiration and another thing is I got rather busy with the hubbub of life.

My special thanks to My Beta, My best friend Majerus (He actually kicked in my arse to get back to writing again :P )

Enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you feel up to it.

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**Chapter 2 Inscrutable: A long lost name**

As Harry entered his cubicle he saw Dean was waiting for him. After years being best mates with Harry, Dean knew something was definitely not right.

He greeted Harry with, "What's wrong?"

Harry ran his hands through his untidy hair while he tried to act nonchalant, "Nothing much, it's just the Minister and Kingsley think I'm the best choice for solving Gwenog's case."

Dean looked momentarily stymied. He shook his head as he said, "But how's that possible? What about the senior Aurors?"

"I said the same thing, but it seems they have a high opinion about my capabilities." Harry said sarcastically.

"No one doubts your abilities mate, after all you defeated Voldemort! But this - this is a high profile case... Putting you on this case will make the media pay even more attention!" Dean stopped, but only to take a breath. "How come Kingsley agreed to this?" Dean's face was turning that crimson it normally did when he gets really angry.

Harry merely shrugged. "That's the least of my problems mate. I can't ponder now on why they chose me, they must have had their reasons." Looking up, Harry caught his friend's eye.

"I think we need to get going. Kingsley assured me that I will get full support from the others, we need to call a meeting and decide what our next step should be." The impatience was evident in Harry's voice.

Dean nodded as he walked out the door, "Let me go get them."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later members of the Auror team had assembled: Dawlish, Tonks, Savage, Proudfoot, and Williamson were gathered in front of Harry's cubical. All of them had a solemn look on their faces as they waited for Harry to speak.

Harry cleared his throat a little before saying, "Well, now that you all are here-"

"Zabini isn't here." Dawlish interrupted. Harry looked at Dean questioningly.

"Everyone was informed about the situation; it seems Zabini is late as usual."

Harry scowled. Zabini and he had never really got along with one another. After the war Harry tried let go all of his presumptions about the Slytherin house. But when his former classmate had joined the Auror training, Harry realized some Slytherins are always Slytherins. Zabini's pompous behavior and disregard for rules and regulations made Harry remember some of the worst qualities from his Slytherin classmates. It's still a wonder how the junior Auror had managed to keep his position for one whole year.

"We can't wait for anyone, there's no time to waste."

"As all of you know, the Minister and Kingsley have somehow decided to give me the responsibility of this case." Harry said this in one single breath without taking any pause. He looked at everyone, expecting an angry outburst. But to his utter surprise Savage sighed and said, "My heart goes out to you mate."

The tension seemed to ease at Savage's witty response because all of them looked amused.

"I didn't want to take it but for some weird reason the Minister and Kingsley thought it was for the best. I really don't want to disrespect my seniors-" He started to explain but Tonks interrupted,

"Oh Harry, don't sweat it. Do you see us complaining?"

Harry shook his head, "Thank you, but I can't do this without your help. So,-"

"Anything Harry." Tonks cut him off again.

"The first thing that we need to do is to meet with the Holyhead officials. Without their help it will be impossible to proceed."

Williamson nodded and said, "Yes, I reckon I saw Kingsley talking with someone. Let me go and check if she's still here."

Harry had always liked Williamson for his quick wit. Despite being a senior Auror, Williamson and Harry seemed to share a special friendship. They had worked together on many cases and he realized the sync between them came handy in field investigations.

"Can you check on that? Better be quick." Harry urged.

Proudfoot, a rather quiet man around his mid thirties talked for the first time in the meeting, "We are going to need Gwenog's file. We need to know every possible detail of her life. Her family, friends, foes…every bit of information."

"I'm on it!" Before Harry could say anything more, Dean was running for the Administrative Records Department. Dean's eagerness made Harry laugh to himself; he knew that his friend was only excited to get the record because Gwenog was such a famous Quidditch player and coach. Dean practically lived and breathed Quidditch.

He looked back at the remaining Aurors and said, "We should sit and discuss on how we are going to handle this. If you could please come in my cubical, I think it's spacious enough to seat all of us for now."

Harry's dislike for enclosed space showed openly when someone entered his cubical. It was messy to the last bit. Parchments, previous case photos, quills, files, books… everything was strewn haphazardly. He preferred an open and free environment to work with a clear mind. But some jobs can't be done without a desk so he reluctantly kept his cubical. As they entered the small space, Tonks looked at it for a second and remarked,

"Jeez harry… You're an Auror! At least use a cleaning spell from time to time. This is just utter mess. How do you even work here?" Tonks swished her wand, muttering a cleaning spell. All the books, parchments, quills went flying to their places and few seconds later his cubical was much cleaner and organized.

He grinned and said, "Thanks Tonks."

Harry realized Dawlish, the senior Auror, a rather tall man with a sharp face was still standing at the doorway, hesitating. Harry wasn't really surprised at Dawlish's behavior because Dawlish was famous for his "Cleanliness." Dawlish washed his hands every chance he got and it's no wonder that he would hesitate to enter a messy room like his.

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "You can enter now Dawlish. Tonks has cleaned the room."

Both Tonks and Savage laughed. Dawlish entered, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Er... it wasn't about-"

Savage, still laughing said, "Leave it mate. We know what you are going to say. I still wonder how you got this Auror position. Were you using a cleaning spell during your field exams too?

Dawlish turned a beautiful color of red. Tonks came forward and ended the teasing, "Leave him be, we have serious issues to discuss now."

Proudfoot nodded and took a parchment and quill from Harry's table as he took a seat. Harry cleared his throat and started, "Er... so what do we know about Gwenog? Except for the fact the she was a Beater and Harpies coach?"

"I heard she was a head strong woman. Everyone called her "The woman of steel"."

Harry nodded to this information. Tonks continued, "Never had many friends and family though. You know... not a very "social" person."

"And what's the basis of this information?" Proudfoot asked without taking his eyes from the parchment as he scribbled away.

"Umm… Witch Weekly." Tonks looked slightly embarrassed as she said so.

Proudfoot stopped his scribbling and looked at Tonks with a slight frown on his face.

"You do realize Tonks that this is an official investigation? We can't rely on some Gossip Magazine to provide us reliable information."

Tonks, looking abashed and muttered something sounded like a "sorry."

Proudfoot was a respected senior Auror who was popular for his straight-forward, disciplined approach to his cases. Harry liked him enough but sometimes Proudfoot's "no nonsense" approach came across as rude to some people. Whoever named him "Proudfoot" was absolutely right with their choice.

To take the focus off of Tonks, Harry intervened, "Until we have the file or any solid information, these informal sources are worth considering. Since we have nothing in our hands to move further I think we just need to explore whatever we can come up with."

Proudfoot looked at him for a moment and said at last, "Fair enough."

"Do we know how she was murdered?" Savage asked.

"Unclear. The Prophet didn't say anything in the morning edition. It may have been the killing curse because her body showed no sign of injuries." Proudfoot answered.

"As we haven't checked if there were any signs of torture... I think we should wait for the Harpies official report before we make any conclusion about this." Harry commented.

They were all quiet for a moment when Savage asked again, "Who could even do this?"

Proudfoot shrugged and said, "The possible motives are countless. But first we should look at who will gain a direct benefit from the coach of rival team being killed?"

Harry answered quietly, "Puddlemere United."

Proudfoot nodded. Tonks shook her head and said, "But the League has been going on since 1674. It's always been a healthy competition."

"It's still the strongest motive if you are handling a murder case of a coach." Proudfoot persisted.

Harry tried to ease things a bit, "What I think Proudfoot is trying to say is that at this point of time, we can't rule out anything."

Dean entered at that moment, clutching a file. He threw the file to Harry while he took a seat in front of Harry's table. "So, what are we discussing?"

Tonks replied, "Nothing much."

Harry, on the other hand has started to read Gwenog's file. The page was simply a profile with a picture of hers. The picture Gwenog had a serious look on her face as she played with her beater's bat with one hand to another. Harry read on for few minutes when Proudfoot asked, "So... going to share?"

Harry looked up from the file and began to report to those gathered around. "Nothing written about her father. Her mother and sister live in the West End of London."

"That's interesting. Is her father dead or did she just not keep contact with them?" Dean asked eagerly.

Harry skimmed to the last pages of the file and concluded, "Like I said nothing is specified here. Other than that and some brief information about her career... umm, yeah. That's it."

"Read it to us. We all need to know as much as information possible." Dean's tone of voice continued to show his enthusiasm.

Harry took a breath and started. "She attended Hogwarts from 1979 to 1986. She was a Ravenclaw beater and helped her house to win the Quidditch cup for four consecutive years. She joined Holyhead as a reserve player in 1987. The Harpies made her an official player during the mid season of 1990. They reached the semi-finals that year, thanks to Jones."

He looked up from his file saw that everyone was listening to him with utmost concentration except for Dean who was chewing Harry's quill. Harry continued nevertheless, "The Harpies continued their good form... Um... Till 1995. Jones retired in 1995 due to a bad thigh injury."

Harry paused until Savage pressed, "Then?"

"Why don't you ask the walking and talking Quidditch Encyclopedia Mr. Dean Thomas? He looks rather bored." Harry smirked as he said so.

Dean rolled his eyes and began to speak rapidly, gesturing with his hands and trying to look at them all. "Come on! Everyone knows how she revolutionized Quidditch! Even though she failed miserably in her first year as a coach... the Harpies came last at the league table in 1997 and then-"

Dean couldn't continue his jabber because Williamson entered hastily and the Harpies official was hot on his heels.

Both Tonks and Dean gasped slightly. Even Harry couldn't believe his eyes. The Harpies official William brought with him was none other than Hermione Granger.

"Her-Hermione?" Somehow Harry finally managed to speak.

"Hey Harry... Long time no see."

Harry grinned. Hermione, a fellow Gryffindor and a helpful friend who had provided her support in many ways during the war. Not to mention, Dumbledore's Army was practically her idea.

Dean was still gaping at Hermione. He stammered, "Hermione... When di-did you join Holyhead? I thought... you didn't like Quidditch!"

"A year and a half ago. For your information Dean, Quidditch has started to grow on me since I joined the Harpies." Hermione said this with a twitch of smile.

Harry realized he was being rather rude by not introducing his classmate to everyone. "Savage, Dawlish, Proudfoot... This is Hermione Granger, an old friend of ours and now apparently a Holyhead Harpies official."

"Press Secretary." Hermione corrected. She shook hands with all of them and Tonks gave her a little wink.

"Ms. Granger, please take a seat. We have very important issues to discuss." Proudfoot signaled.

Hermione took the seat right in front of Harry and Harry realized Hermione looked the same he remembered from the last time he had seen her. She still had the same bushy hair and same bossy look on her face… except that she looked tired. Dark circles were clearly visible around her eyes.

"You look awful Hermione." Harry stated.

"You would too if you hadn't slept at all last night." Her reply was quick, but she didn't seem angry.

"Miss Granger, I can understand you are weary after last night's incidents. I promise we won't keep you long. We just need to ask a few important questions." Proudfoot insisted.

"Please, don't worry, I am happy to help. The fact that Ms. Jones... " Hermione's voice quivered.

Concerned, Harry asked, "Are you sure you're okay Hermione? If you aren't then we can do this later."

Hermione sighed, "No, I'm okay. It's just... I can't believe... I talked with her last night and then - an hour later I got the news…"

Hermione buried her face in her hands. Tonks moved hastily to keep a hand on her shoulder. She whispered, "Perhaps we should do this later Proudfoot. Clearly Hermione needs some time."

Hermione shook her head then and said vigorously, "NO! The more we delay the more we fall behind. Whoever did this shouldn't get away with it."

"Start from the beginning then Hermione. When did you get the news?" Harry asked quietly.

"The bloke who found Ms. Jones body called the guards of her apartment. I was about to cook my dinner when the head of security of flooed in my drawing room. By the time I reached the scene, guards had already warded the place."

Harry knew his old friend had a keen eye for detail, he wondered if she had noticed anything. "So, do you have any insight into how she was killed?"

"A killing curse for sure. There was no wound. I checked." Hermione answered sadly.

Harry prompted, "Then what did you do?"

"I had to let know the Ministry and Harpies officials know first. Then I went to Ms. Jones mother... to give the news. The whole thing was just agonizing."

Savage nodded and said, "Understandable. How are they coping?"

"I spoke to them this morning, they are doing better than last night."

They were all quiet for a moment when Harry asked the inevitable question, "Hermione, do you have any idea who could do this? Did Gwenog have any enemies or rivals?"

Hermione gave another deep sigh and replied, "Harry, that's what I've been trying to figure out since last night."

"We had been discussing this before you came... Puddlemere United seems to gain a great deal of benefit from this murder." Proudfoot affirmed again.

Hermione's brow frowned, "Yes... so it seems." They all were contemplating on this thought when Savage urged.

"Ms. Granger... before we can dig further into this we need to know everything about Holyhead. The security plan surrounding the office and the stadium, the files of the owners, players, officials... "

Hermione nodded as she replied, "I need to go back to Wales. I don't think it will be possible for me to come back this evening with all the chaos back there. I will send someone with the documents you requested."

Hermione stood up and shook hands with all of them. When she came forward to shake hands with Harry, she said, "I guess we'll see each other more often now."

Harry smiled sadly, "I'm sorry it's under these circumstances. But it was nice to see you again Hermione."

Hermione bade them goodbye and promised to send all the files that they requested by evening if she could.

* * *

That evening Harry sat at his desk, trying to find some peace with a cup of tea. The last few hours had been maddening. All the Aurors had to run to the Atrium to intercept the frenzied media and fans when they had broken the ward that Tonks created that morning...

Before they could recast the ward, some journalists had flocked to Harry out of nowhere, asking all sorts of weird questions. Harry eventually had to flee, or be surrounded by unreasoning fans and thoughtless reporters. He realized that if this went on then solving the case would become absolutely impossible in the coming days. So he had sent Williamson to meet the Minister and Kingsley to have them sign a decree preventing all visitors, fans and media from entering the Ministry until the situation returned to normal.

Harry took a sip of his tea and absentmindedly opened the players file that Hermione sent an hour ago. Skimming through a few pages, he realized that he had been out of touch with Quidditch for a long time. Some names he recalled vaguely from Dean's blabber... other than that, he didn't recognize a single one of them. Taking another sip of his tea, he turned to the reserve players list. He read on until he saw a name that made him stop, his eyes going wide:

_Ginny Weasley_

_Reserve Chaser_

_(Current ranking: 7)_


End file.
